Glaciers closed: Czech alpine skiers now train in Chile

This summer, for the first time ever, all the European glaciers that once anchored alpine skiers’ summer training closed to skiing one after another. Czech national teams now have to look for snow on the other side of the world, and training costs are rising faster than the association’s budget.

“It’s sad to watch the glaciers disappear before your eyes. I remember what they looked like ten years ago, and coaches in their sixties see the change even more strongly,” says Jan Zabystřan, a World Cup super-G winner in Val Gardena.

Chile is the only way out

National team members are left with two options: ski halls, which in terms of profile and length suit only those who specialise in technical disciplines, and a move to the southern hemisphere, most often to Chile. Stars such as Zabystřan or Ester Ledecká already visit the Andes regularly, and this year talented juniors set off on the long journey for the first time as well. There was no choice, but the association’s coffers also lacked the money to pay for all the training.

“When training in Chile costs the association three million crowns and the budget is 800,000, then even with the help of sponsors we have to ask the athletes to cover the rest,” explains Martin Štěpán, head of the alpine skiing division. According to sporting director and head coach Jan Fidler, athletes pay their personal expenses – around 250,000 crowns per person – from family or sponsorship funds.

“The situation is even worse in the children’s categories and in clubs. Skiing is becoming less and less affordable, and the trend is dramatic. Even in Chile there often aren’t enough places. We will have to look for other options too, such as slopes with artificial surfaces,” Fidler believes. It is also getting harder to find slopes in Czechia itself that can be used for training, even partially: “Resort operators have to look after their own interests.”

A loss of 24 million crowns

While training gets more expensive, the association’s budget is hard to balance – partly through its own fault, partly because of the state’s plans. This season’s Women’s World Cup slalom and giant slalom in Špindlerův Mlýn ended with a loss of almost 24 million crowns. Division chairman Ladislav Foretek stepped down and was replaced by his former deputy Štěpán, and dealing with the huge hole is one of his main tasks.

“We owe nobody anything, everything is paid. We are dealing with the loss at the association level so that it does not affect sporting activity,” says Štěpán. The association asked the Czech Union of Sports for a loan of 30 million crowns, and it was approved. It will be repaid over four years. Because of the financial results, the association turned down an offer from the International Ski Federation to host another World Cup event in Špindlerův Mlýn in 2028. The next chance may come in two years if the outlook improves.

The state will cut support by 20%

For now, things look rather the opposite. “In talks with the National Sports Agency we were warned that a twenty percent cut in the contribution to the association’s activities is expected. For the association’s funding that would be a catastrophe,” says Štěpán. For his division it would mean the budget falling from 35 to 28 million crowns.

“Where can we cut? Only on sport, we have no other expenses,” Štěpán notes, adding that the national team should not be affected by the cut thanks to departmental centres and sponsors. “In the short term, the associations will survive. But today’s national team members grew up thanks to the association’s work and competitions in the younger categories. In ten to fifteen years these athletes will not be there. That is when it will catch up with us,” the division chairman warns.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz